Happy New Year!!!

Wow.... what a year 2007 has been. After so many years the school finally moved to Bloomsbury and has changed names from Camden College of English to Language in London.

Now we're looking ahead to a wonderful 2008 and the opportunity to welcome new students who will become new friends.

On behalf of the teachers and staff at Camden College of English, I would like to wish a happy, healthy and peaceful year to all those we know and all those we are still to meet.

Have fun and see you in 2008!

Stuart Rubenstein

Exam week!!

I just want to wish our wonderful students ... GOOD LUCK because this week some of them are taking Cambridge English exams (First Certificate, Advanced and Proficiency).

These are difficult exams, which students have been preparing for since September. There are five papers (speaking, listening, reading, writing, use of English), and the students need to get a minimum of 60% to pass.
Sometimes I think that both teachers and students spend too long on worrying about how to pass the exam rather than how to be better at English. However, that might be because I never liked exams when I was at school!

There is no doubt that having an exam at the end of a course does motivate most students - and that must be a good thing.

Of course, it's true that our courses and these exams really can make a difference to someone's life. This week I received a lovely email from an old student in response to this blog. Anne (or, Nanou, as she was called), was at the school nearly 10 years ago. She wrote to say that she is working now as a Clinical Research Associate in Paediatrics in Paris. Nanou took the highest Cambridge exam and tells us, "I must say that it was my English that really made the difference when I was hired ... So thank you very much. It's partly thanks to you and the school that I have a great job I really like!"

Thanks Nanou!

Hopefully, over the next few years we'll hear some success stories about the students who are sitting their exams this week.

Regards,
Stuart Rubenstein

Skating and Pantomime...

While I was stuck at my computer all day yesterday... Rob (director of studies) and the students were having the most fantastic winter afternoon in London.

Here are my favourite pictures... I think it clearly shows that coming to London to take an English course is really NOT just about the present perfect simple!!

Happy skating!
Stuart Rubenstein

I wish I were a student at Language in London

Of course, every day is a wonderful day at Language in London... but today is something special!

We've planned a magical winter experience to start at lunchtime, after the morning lessons.

Firstly, Rob is taking a group students ice skating at Somerset House, which is a wonderful building just by the river Thames. After skating (and hot chocolate!), everyone is going up to Regent Street for some Christmas shopping. This means Hamleys - the best toy shop in London and then Libertys, which is a wonderful store and the perfect place for our students to get something for mum!

By this time it will be getting dark and everyone will be able to enjoy the famous Regent Street lights, which attract millions of visitors every December.


After the shopping, it will be time to head to the theatre for a pantomime. Now most people think that this means actors miming, or not speaking. But actually, pantomime in English is something completely different. This is one of our great traditions and the easiest way of describing it is... theatre for children (and big children!).

Generally, pantomimes tell traditional stories like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, as well as some English tales that are not universally known. In all pantomimes there is a lot of audience participation and every one has a fantastic time.

We have chosen to go to see Dick Whittington, which was first staged in 1814 and is a story about the Lord Mayor of London... and his cat!

Hopefully we'll have lots of pictures of the day to post on here... but while everyone is skating, shopping and at the theatre... I hope they think of me sitting here working in the office!!

Have fun!

Stuart Rubenstein

Where are you now....?

Yesterday I was chatting online to an ex-student, Maria Bernardes from Brazil. She was in my class in '98 and is now an English teacher in Barcelona.

That got me thinking...

I'd love to put together a list of students from Camden College of English / Language in London with some simple information for all to share and see.

Name:
Country:
Dates at Camden College of English / Language in London:
Where you are now:
What you are doing now:

Of course, we have our Facebook and Orkut pages but it would also be good if we had a community of our own.

Send your details to this blog or directly to me if you prefer.

Regards,
Stuart Rubenstein

What's happening today...?

I thought it would be interesting to let you know about what happens in a typical day at Language in London. It's 0955 now... and the day looks very full.

Firstly, the English lessons all started at 0915. Some of our students are getting a bit nervous because they are preparing for Cambridge exams (First Certificate, Advanced, Proficiency) and the speaking tests are this week.

We are also hosting a workshop today for SOAS, which is one of the colleges of the University of London. The session today is on reading skills for early-years learners.

This afternoon, Caroline, our photographer, is coming to take some more photos for our new brochure and website. The sky is blue and we don't want to miss this opportunity.

Later today, I'm going to be looking at a new development for the online e-learning programme we give to our students. This is one of the exciting projects that Language in London is involved in to make the learning experience better for our students.

At 1800, the evening students will start arriving for their IELTS class and I will be ready to go home and watch the England - Croatia game on the tv!

Hope you have a good day.

Stuart Rubenstein

Tandem International at Language in London

What a busy weekend!

This year, Language in London was host to over 20 language schools from across Europe (France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain) and Canada - all members of the Tandem International network. As schools, we all have a common interest in indepence, quality and innovation.

On Friday we had workshops in the morning, where representatives from each school shared ideas on marketing, websites, quality control and European Union initiatives. In the afternoon we invited some agents to visit the school and learn about all the schools.

On Saturday we held our Annual General Meeting and discussed the exciting future of our group.

The best thing about these meetings is that it is a chance to meet other people - friends - who run schools, care about their students and want to offer the best possible language courses.

If you are interested in learning English, Spanish, French, Italian or German... then we probably have the school and course for you. Please have a look at http://www.tandem-schools.com/ and get in touch with the schools directly.

Here are some photos from the event.









Regards,
Stuart Rubenstein

Nearly 10,000!

Since I added the counter we've had nearly 10,000 hits. I know that lots of ex-students read this blog (they tell me in emails) and so do future students (it's useful to find out more about the school).
However, the most important reader is my mother-in-law in Buenos Aires! She checks every day to see the latest news from the school ... so, Marta, I hope you like the picture below of your little grandson and that you are looking forward to coming to visit us in December.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Stuart Rubenstein

Berlin - a tourist guide.

I've just got back from four days in Berlin at a big education workshop. The purpose is to meet agents from all over the world, present the school (during 20-minute appointments), which hopefully will result in the agents promoting our courses to students who will choose our school. I think I gave over 45 presentations!

So... my guide to the city of Berlin is as follows:
Arrived Sunday lunchtime and took taxi to hotel.
Left Wednesday morning.
In between, all I did was work. Even during meals, it was work, work, work. In fact, all I saw was this view from my table in the exhibition hall!
The only time I left the hotel was to find a bar on Tuesday evening to watch the Chelsea game.

I'm a little embarrassed that I saw nothing of such an interesting city. I will definitely have to return as a tourist and see everything. So... sorry Berlin!

The worst bit about being away was missing Benjamin (and Greta, of course!). It was "only" four days but it felt like it was a lot longer.
Regards,
Stuart Rubenstein

Something old, something new...

I've been trying to arrange the photos I have stored on my computer - there are 1000s of them! I think this is my favourite of 2007.

The picture is of a group of students going to see a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre with one of our teachers. You can see St. Paul's Cathedral in the background but what you don't know is that the students are all looking ahead towards the Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern and the theatre. They are probably all wondering if they will understand one word of "The Merchant of Venice" and feeling very cultured!!

One thing I love about London is how old and new sit so peacefully next to each other. Red brick houses, Georgian mansions, modern glass towers... there is no single style that defines this city but the charm is found in co-existence. In others words, this is a cosmopolitan city architecturally as well as socially.

This weekend I'm off to a language school conference and workshop in Berlin. I've never been there before and hope I get the chance (when not working!) to see another European capital that is constantly changing.

Have a good weekend.

Stuart Rubenstein

After so many years answering the phone, "Hello, Camden College of English...", we're all learning to say, "Hello, Language in London...".

I say the name of the school much more than I say my own name, so this is a big change!

I hope you like the new logo... when you visit the school you will see that we have painted speech bubbles in all the classrooms.

The new email addresses are now operating (....@languageinlondon.com), the brochure is nearly ready but we haven't made any progress with the website.

Lots to do (and when that's done, there's lots more).

But now it's time to think about the weekend (haircut, Chelsea v. Manchester City + lots and lots of Greta and Ben time!).

Have a good one.

Stuart Rubenstein

Finished!!

It always takes me longer than I expect... and every year I say I'll start earlier. But I never learn...

I've just completed all the course descriptions, timetables, fees, accommodation details and general information for 2008. Pages and pages of information that I try to make as clear as possible. I produce one document to send to students and one for agents.

I can't believe that we offer over 20 different choices for English courses.

I've had a look at the design for the new brochure and I must say that it looks wonderful. I can't wait to get them printed.

Stuart Rubenstein

No posts... lots happening...

It's been a very busy week or so and that's my only excuse for no new posts.

I've been desperately trying to finish the text for our new Language in London brochure. The aim has been to write something that everyone can understand and is an introduction to the school without saying everything. I'm meeting the designers this week and then it will be printing time. I had hoped to have the brochure completed a couple of months ago but timing is never my strong point.

We're also planning some great new things for 2008, which need publicity and promotion. This includes a summer course called "British Books and Films" (guess what that's about!) and extend our Cultural Experience course so that it is available all year.

I'm also working on a programme called "Best of Both Worlds" with a school in Devon. This would give our students the chance to have a course in the heart of the English countryside and the heart of London. Two hearts are better than one!

Oh.... and congratulations to South Africa on winning the Rugby World Cup. I think England did very well to get to the final but the better team won.

Regards,
Stuart

Thanks Rosa!

Just got this photo from Rosa from 1998. The old "Camden College" canopy was filthy. I remember we changed that the next year for a blue one. Everyone looks very cold here... not sure if it was summer or winter!

Don't forget... if you want your face to be on the History of Camden wall then send me your photo (but not by email as I need proper photographs).

Stuart

FINAL CALL FOR PHOTOS

If you attended Camden College of English at any time from 1989 until the present then this message is for you.

As you know, we have moved to a new building in central London but we don't want to forget our past. We receive emails and have visits from old students all the time and want them / you to feel at home when you come to 42 Bloomsbury Street.

Next month we are going to prepare our History Wall with photos of all those involved in the school at any time. If you want to be part of this then send us your pictures. The best thing is to post them to me at school (as they will be displayed, I won't be able to return them).

Don't forget you can also join the Camden College of English community on Facebook.

Stuart

Grumpy Old Man

I think I'm becoming a grumpy old man... and I also think that England is changing. For years, the two most civilised aspects of our society have been queueing at bus stops and standing on the right on escalators. These are customs that tourists and visitors have to learn quickly. They also clearly show that we are different from those savages (the rest of the world!) who push and fight when their bus arrives and do not respect the "first come, first served" way of doing things.
We love queueing in England. It shows order, reason and respect. How can anything else work properly if such a simple process fails?
BUT... things are changing!
I have noticed, when waiting for the bus in the morning, that half of us stand in line and the rest bunch around the front of the queue no matter what time they arrive. And it's not just young people... no! It's EVERYONE! Of course, the rest of us, the good-queuers, don't complain or say a word.
I think I'm getting old!

(My longest and favourite queueing experience was 2 days in 1982 for Bruce Springsteen tickets.)

Stuart

Did you miss me?

One wonderful week by the sea in Greece... swimming, eating, enjoying the sun... playing with Ben all day.... perfect!
Here we are chilling out by the pool...

But home is home and it's great to be back in London...

Stuart

While the cat's away, the mice will play....

Yes, we're off on holiday ... sun, sea, bucket and spade...

It was a last minute decision between Cornwall and Greece and Greece won! So, there'll be no blogs and I'll try my hardest not to think or worry about the school.

Have fun wherever you are and thanks for the suggestions of places to go.

And of course, promise me you'll all be good for the next seven days!!!!

love
Stuart, Greta and Benjamin

What a week!

Sorry I haven't managed to post this week but it's been a very busy time. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent locked in a hotel in London... without seeing daylight.

The reason for this?

Every year there is a fair, Studyworld, where agents from around the world meet representatives from schools and educational institutions. The system is that the schools sit at tables and we have a schedule of 20-minute appointments with the agents from 0800 in the morning until 1800.

I met agents from Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Spain, Latvia, Brazil, Oman, Russia, France, Georgia, Portugal, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Thailand, Ukraine, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and even one from London!

Approximately 50% of our students are sent by agents and the other 50% come through an independent internet research or by word-of-mouth recommendation. Here are some of the people I met:
Jime and Christine from Hong Kong Study Tours Centre, Hong Kong.

Olga from Persona Grata in Russia.

Maria from High Connections in Brazil.

Audrey from Indirizzo Inghilterra in Italy.

Advice please...

Even a language school Principal needs a holiday... yes, it's true. Greta, Benjamin and I have decided to have a week's break in September. The question is: where?
We want a bit sunshine, beach, good food and a shortish flight from London.

What do you suggest?

Stuart

Open minds and full tummies.

In case you don't know, this is a steak and kidney pudding. And what is a steak and kidney pudding? Well, it's ENGLISH FOOD!!!

Yes, I know what you all think about English food. I've heard every comment a million times!!!

Last Wednesday about 30 of us went out for dinner to Porters in Covent Garden, which is a restaurant specialising in traditional English cooking. We tucked into a three course meal and enjoyed trying what everybody else ordered.

What did everybody think? Well, they arrived with open minds and left with full tummies and spent a lot of time chatting and laughing... and some even liked the food!!

Bon appetit!
Stuart

Duarte, Roman and Rui...

On the left is Duarte and on the right is Rui... two wonderful students from Portugal. In the middle is billionaire Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea Football Club. The lads met Roman at a training session at Stamford Bridge and persuaded him to pose for a photo. Even with all the money in the world, Roman's English is not very good but I don't think they convinced him to take some lessons. Rui has a great blog with more photos of his time in London.

Have a good weekend and "Come on Chelsea!"
Stuart

Ramon the Winner

Ramon is in the front row wearing a yellow t-shirt. But why is he getting a special mention?
Well, he first came to the school in 1992 (yes, 1992!) and has been a regular summer visitor ever since. More than anything, Ramon likes coming to London and seeing his old friends and keeping his English at a good level. This year he's become a minor celebrity in the city because he's had one of his photos published in "The London Paper", an evening newspaper read by millions of commuters on the way home from work. His winning photo was of an Indian dance festival in Trafalgar Square.
See you next year Ramon!

Stuart

we've gone wi-fi...

We've now got our wi-fi installed... so if you are coming to the school and don't want to use one of the 12 computers in our internet cafe... you can use your own.

This is not the most interesting post but it might be useful!

Stuart

Mission Impossible

We call it Mission Impossible... a weekend competition between groups of students who have to be photographed in different places, doing / eating / drinking / trying different things...

I started this activity about 5 years and we run it at the school every six months. Each time we do it, I update the tasks and include special events happening in London.

Those who took part had so much fun and visited a lot of amazing places.

Here are some photos from our wonderful students who took part last weekend.

Review of the week

It's been a good week at school. The "Bloomsbury Walk", which I do on a Monday for new students, is getting better. The idea of the walk is to give everyone a chance to get to know each other on their first day and to show that Bloomsbury Street is the cleverest road in the world... well, that's my theory! Somehow I manage to include Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Virginnia Woolf, Graham Greene, George Orwell, John Maynard Keynes, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, chocolate, sex and a few other stories...

On Wednesday evening, all the staff went out for a meal together - if you want to see us all eating... please go to this link at YouTube.

Yesterday evening Rob took about 25 students to Primrose Hill for a picnic and game of cricket and by all accounts everyone had a great time.

On a more personal note, I'm miserable at the moment. Greta has gone to Argentina to see her parents and of course, she's taken Benjamin with her. I miss them both so much. Ben is at an age (18 months) where he is changing all the time and learning new words every day. It's horrible not having them at home. The weekend will be the worst ... especially as the weather is going to be great. I'll fill my time with writing the new school brochure and website, seeing the Simpsons movie and watching Chelsea v. Manchester United.

Have a good weekend everyone!
Stuart

The Green Machine

We try to be as environmentally friendly as possible at the school - this includes recycling paper, using proper cups for coffee (and not throwing away polystyrene ones) and encouraging all students and staff to use public transport or cycle to school. Here's Si Hyung from Korea, who leaves his bike on the terrace when he's in class.

Teachers Alastair and Ashleigh as well as Alejandra all reguarly cycle to work.

Stuart

Bye..... and thanks

It's always sad on a Friday when students leave. Some have been with us for a long time, others for only a couple of weeks but we never like saying goodbye.
Here's a great photo of those leaving today. Alejandra (who arranged all their accommodation and did so much to help them), is in the middle at the front.

Wherever you are ... have a good weekend.
Stuart

Facebook

Camden College of English now has a group on Facebook... so, join!

Stuart

The things I've been thinking about recently...

School things...

1. Course books. They are often dull, repetitive and designed to fit students into the publishers' vision of a "level". In my heart, I also believe they suffocate some teachers, who end up doing nothing more than following the printed instructions.
   
2. The walls. As part of our relaunch (the new name will be revealed soon), we have decided to add a splash of colour to the walls of each classroom.
   
3. Expectations. Rob, Alejandra and I have been discussing student expectations over this busy summer. What exactly do you / they want? Our responsibility is to satisfy these expectations... but are they always reasonable? It's a very interesting debate and part of the process of always trying to improve the service we offer.

Non-school things...

1. Words. Benjamin is now 18 months old and is using more and more words. He celebrates each new one with a great big smile. I've never seen anything more amazing. His favourite is saying "bye-bye" to everyone and everything.
   
2. Books. My tube and bus journey to and from work has been a pleasure the last couple of weeks as I've been reading Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter. Set in West Africa during the second world war, it is a painful story of honesty, religion and love. Very interesting.
   
3. Taking life seriously. I think a lot about this. I worry about the school. About Ben. About everything. I need to remind myself to enjoy it all!

Stuart

Flood!

If you read this blog regularly, you know we have moved to a new building and you will also know that as a Londoner, I don't believe it ever rains here.
Well, today it rained. In fact, it poured. It came down in buckets. The sky went black, the heavens opened and our basement flooded. What a disaster!!!
The afternoon was spent getting the water out and clearing up... a perfect way to end the week. On the way home this evening, I'm sure I saw a man with a beard directing pairs of animals onto a boat. Maybe I'm going mad.
Have a dry weekend.
Stuart

A perfect day

On Saturday Alejandra took a group of students on a day trip to Brighton. Some went swimming in the sea (very brave!), others went shopping or visited the cultural sites. And they all shared fish and chips!
This week we have a lot planned - including a Shakespeare play at the Globe, a party and a trip to Greenwich. I'll post photos and reviews after each activity.
Wherever you are... have a good week.
Stuart

Broken Link

What a disaster!
Yesterday we had a link to Rai, the Italian tv channel, for the news story about learning English in London. And now all I get is a message which says "Spiacenti. Il video richiesto non è più disponibile".

So... Camden College of English really was famous for only one day!

Stuart

Camden TV

Thanks to Rosa, an old student of the school, who sent this link from Italian TV of Camden College of English. I was expecting us to be on TG1 on Wednesday but instead we were on TG2 this weekend!
The link is 30 minutes of news and we are near the end... it's a piece about the Bell school in Cambridge and Camden College of English in London. You can see a clip of one lesson with Rob (with the orange sofas), two of our fantastic students talking (in front of the computer with the picture of the undergound) and then a shot of a group walking out the front door.
I'm very proud that our lovely little school was chosen to represent the world of language teaching in London.
Ciao!
Stuart

15 minutes of fame....

We had an exciting afternoon at school today because Michele Puccioni, an Italian television journalist, brought his crew to 42 Bloomsbury to film a news story. His report, for the Italian news programme TG1, concerns Italians studying English in London.
Some of our students were filmed in class and others were interviewed about their time here. Knowing that they would be on tv (and seen by millions... including parents and friends) they were all keen to tell their stories and look glamorous in front of the camera.
So... if you are in Italy, watch TG1 tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8pm and hopefully you will see the school and our students.

And if anybody can record it for me......

Ciao!

Stuart

She's the best!

If you have been sending emails to the school recently asking questions about courses, accommodation, social activities, London underground, the weather, IELTS exams... or anything else... you will have been in contact with Alejandra.
She is a one-woman army who fights with all her energy to get the best for her students. Sometimes there's a phone call from a student who says "I sent an email and you haven't replied yet."
"When did you send it?" asks Alejandra.
"10 minutes ago."



Alejandra is from Argentina and originally came to London in 1999 to study at Camden College of English with her boyfriend. Three years later she came back to take a Cambridge exam and the boyfriend had become a husband. And they're still here!

For the last four years she has been working with me in the office - and even though there are times of stress (moving to the new building, busy summers with lots of accommodation requests, British Council inspections), Ale is always positive.

So if you are coming to study here, be nice to her and if she looks stressed make her a coffee (with milk and one sugar!).

Stuart

Rain Stops Play

Just one minute away from the school is one of the most famous shops in London. For the last 175 James Smith & Sons has been selling the accessory that signifies the British... umbrellas.
Since I started teaching in 1988, I have always enjoyed telling my students that I don't have an umbrella, that I have never had an umbrella and that I will never have an umbrella. The reason for this? I'm a Londoner!
I don't consider rain to be a problem or a nuisance. It's part of life and not worth making a big fuss about. Rain happens.
Whenever we arrange something on the social programme our students always have one question: What happens if it rains?
My answer is always the same: We will get wet.
So yesterday we had a walking tour of Bloomsbury and it didn't rain. Today, Rob has taken a group of students to watch the tennis at Wimbledon. We have planned trips to go to the beach at Brighton and to watch Shakespeare in the open air Globe theatre. Over the summer we will also have picnics, football matches, trips to Oxford, music festivals... and all of them will be outside.
In fact, the only time rain is a problem is when I'm watching cricket. Of course, the most English of all sports, cricket, can only be played when it's not raining. And this sums up the character of the English - optimistic, open to challenges and not entirely realistic. Who else would invent a game less suited to their environment?
This afternoon I popped out to get a sandwich and the heavens opened. Monsoon. A deluge. As I ran past James Smith & Sons getting totally drenched I wished that I had an umbrella. Oh well.

Thanks Sally...

I have a lot to thank Sally for. During the time that she was a teacher and director of studies at Camden College of English she became the best and closest friend that anybody could wish for. Now that she is living in India I miss our daily chats...

One thing we talked a lot about was our shared passion for reading. We both agreed that too many recent books are about emotional breakdowns, failed relationships, mid-life crises...where are the great story tellers? we both asked.

Well, Sally, thanks for giving me a copy of "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry. It is the best book I've read in years. The four main characters are so real that they are still growing and living in my mind. If you want to go on a wonderful journey this summer then get this book... and if you don't trust me, trust Sally!

Stuart

A long, long week...

It's been a long week because Alejandra's been away. Part of her job is to answer all the emails, prepare invoices, arrange accommodation and generally be very nice to everyone. So, this week I've been Alejandra... and that's why I haven't had a chance to write the blog.

Quite a few emails have had the same request ... "I want my accommodation to be as close to the school as possible."

Of course, we don't want to place our students an hour away but.... (there's always a "but").... why AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE?

Surely, when coming to the biggest city in Europe a little travelling is expected. And you're going to be on holiday... so there's no rush (as long as you are not late for class!).

15 minutes on the bus or underground is a great experience. Look at all the faces, eavesdrop on some conversations (good for your English!), read the adverts, finish your homework, daydream, wonder what your friends are doing at home, feel very lucky to be away...

I know that it can be a bit frightening being in such a huge city but London is a gentle place where everyone is accepted.

Enjoy every moment of being here!

Stuart